Accidentally throwing away a recently won trophy must be the last straw for athletes. One of the most famous examples that are remembered in Spain is that of Sergio Ramos, who dropped the Copa del Rey under the Real Madrid bus in 2014. Something similar happened to former Barça striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in 2020, when the FA Cup trophy slipped from his hands before lifting it with Arsenal. And now, to these examples, we add that of Carlos Alcaraz.
The Murcian tennis player made history last Sunday by beating Novak Djokovic in the Wimbledon final. With a victory in five sets by 1-6, 7-6, 6-1, 3-6 and 6-4, Alcaraz achieved his second Grand Slam at the precocious age of 20 years. Even his rival in the decisive match put his ability through the roof, ensuring that he had the best of him and his two greatest rivals, Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal. After a tournament like Alcaraz’s, at some point or another his hands had to fail him.
Fortunately, it was the morning after winning the champion’s trophy, during an interview with CNN. When the reporters from the North American chain asked Alcaraz to show the cup, the Murcian slipped out of his hands, removing the top lid and dumping it on his lap. Fortunately, the gold-plated piece did not fall to the ground nor was it damaged, so the tennis player only had to put the lid back on and end the interview holding back his laughter.
The video was rescued and published by the official account of the Wimbledon tournament on Twitter, reaching almost 270,000 views and more than 5,000 likes. The reactions were the most varied, some even remembering other famous rabbits in the world of tennis. “I know you said you were studying Andy before Wimbledon, but there are things you don’t need to learn from him,” said one user, referring to two-time champion Andy Murray, who suffered a similar mishap.
Another player that users rescued was the Polish Iga ?wi?tek, who dropped the lid of the Roland Garros champion’s trophy last month in Paris. “I was every day old today when I found out that the Wimbledon trophy is not in one piece,” another user noted. Even so, one of the details that attracted the most attention on social networks is the pineapple that rests on the lid that Carlos Alcaraz dropped.
The history of this symbol goes back to the year 1877, when the first Wimbledon championship was held at the All England Club. During this time, the pineapple was a difficult fruit to obtain, being considered an extraordinary piece and praised for its rarity, even becoming a decorative object for rent in homes. Some historians have considered its inclusion due to its incredible status, although they have also identified it as a symbol of hospitality.
